2004 Suzuki GSX-R600

By the end of the day, I had to admit that the shy starlet of the Milan show managed to turn what was supposed to be a gray track day into an immensely enjoyable one. The fact that I was having so much fun in my first ever wet track outing was no doubt due to the extreme controllability and sincerity of the whole GSX-R 600 package. If I had a hard time, it was while trying to find fault with the new Gixxer so I'll try to nit-pick. Down shifting for the ultra slow turn two hairpin I had a couple of false neutrals but with such sweet shifting gearbox I believe they were more related to the extreme position of the footpegs and the acute angle that my legs had to fold into, I'm 6'4" mind you. If you would be getting straight off, say an R6, you might say that the GSX-R lacks that utter flickability that characterizes the last crop of extreme 600.

It might have been noticeable in Misano's couple of chicanes but it's on the super fast triple apex left-hander where you gain whole seconds, not on the slow chicanes and the extra stability of a 55.2" wheelbase should pay off at the end of a lap.

Last request for today, please move over the gear shifting warning light (programmable BTW) higher up as in its current position it's utterly useless.

When you end up a road test complaining about the position of a warning light, it means that all is well, really really well with this new Suzuki.

So let all the posers and machos run for their new liter tools. It might look slightly understated, an almost shy creature, but the 04' GSX-R should be in the right hands a smashing sporting tool and splendid track bike. It has all the right cards to play against the 600 opposition and then some.

I wouldn't be surprised to find it at the top of the heap in this year's SS 600 comparo.